10 ways to reuse board games

Wednesday

Feb 20, 2013 at 12:01 AMFeb 20, 2013 at 7:13 PM

Do your parents still have the game closet? Or maybe now you’re the parents, and you have your own game closet? Either way, can I dig through it? I love looking at people’s games; I think it says a lot about who they are.

Sayward Rebhal, Networx

Do your parents still have the game closet? Or maybe now you’re the parents, and you have your own game closet? Either way, can I dig through it? I love looking at people’s games; I think it says a lot about who they are.

"Stratego" or "Risk"? "Monopoly" or "Life"? And if you don’t own "Clue," I probably don’t want to know you!
I kid, of course, but seriously — I love old board games. And I love the idea of taking incomplete sets that are no longer useful for actual playing, and repurposing them. With such charm and recognition, there’s a lot you can do. The ultra-iconic games will instantly conjure nostalgic affection, while the rare, obscure ones offer some excellent kitsch factor. So grab those mismatched pieces and abandoned boards, and try out ...
1) Dangly earrings are super easy to make. You can buy the ear wires at any craft store. From there it’s just a matter of attaching them. And how cute to make little danglies from your favorite game pieces? I think "Sorry," "Battleship" or mismatched "Monopoly" pieces would be really cute.
2) For your fella, game pieces also make adorable cuff links! Metal ones are especially nice, like "Monopoly" or a miniature chess set.
3) "Scrabble" (one of the best games ever, obviously) offers a wide assortment of tiles that are perfect for custom monogramming, as in place settings or jewelry. You can also use them to write short messages, love notes or other awesome word art.
4) Make an entire set of custom wine charms using the pieces from your favorite game. All you need is some wire to attach the charms to the wine stems. Each one must be different, so choose a game with individualized pieces: "Clue" (players or weapons), "Sorry," etc.
5) Finally, you can string any piece up for an easy, adorable, and personalized necklace that’s an awesome conversation starter.
6) If it’s the board you’re interested in, you can always simply frame and hang it on the wall. Either solo or in a collection, framed games make great art, especially rare or vintage games!
7) Game boards make excellent coasters, by simply cutting your favorite board into circles or squares to create a matching set. Use black electric tape or brightly colored contrasting Washi tape to “trim” up the edges.
8) You can use the boards as hard covers for a homemade journal or sketch pad. Just cut the board to fit and bind as you would any other book (the Internet has many tutorials depending on the style you prefer). I love the idea of customizing a journal with a favorite game – I would use "Risk"!
9) You can easily turn an old board into an adorable little storage box, like a "Monopoly" jewelry box. So cute!
10) Use flimsy paper pieces (like money or score sheets) to decoupage an object, or even to wallpaper an accent area of your home. Or make a "Monopoly" money lamp shade!
So what about you? What’s your all-time favorite board game?
Sayward Rebhal writes for Remodeling Networx. This article originally appeared at http://www.networx.com/article/10-ways-to-reuse-board-games.